I. INTRODUCTION

With the exception of a few earlier developments, aviation is basically
a twentieth-century technology. The Wright brothers flew the world's
first airplane in December 1903.

AVIATION IS MORE THAN AIRPLANES

Yet aviation is more than airplanes. It is a technology which broadly
defined, includes aircraft and wrecks of aircraft, production and
testing facilities, air terminals, and other components that support
civil, military, and commercial flying. The airplane gradually became
the vehicle of transportation and military revolutions, and aviation
has permeated twentieth-century life. Aviation's significance is
reflected in many aspects of American history, architecture, archeology,
engineering, and culture. Under the National Register's areas of
significance, aviation has played an important role in the history
of agriculture, architecture, archeology, art, commerce, communications,
education, engineering, entertainment/ recreation, industry, invention,
landscape architecture, military, science, social history, and transportation.

The importance of aviation is not fully reflected by the small
number of airplanes listed in the National Register. Historic aviation
properties eligible for the National Register may be significant
at the local, State, or National level. These properties may be
listed individually (for example, as a type of aircraft) or as part
of a group (a collection of buildings forming a historic district).
In addition to aircraft, aviation wrecks, aviation development and
production facilities, air terminals on land and water, military
air bases and stations, aids to navigation, administrative, and
educational facilities, and missile launch sites and complexes are
examples of other aviation properties that may meet the National
Register criteria.

This aviation bulletin supplements general publications that contain
information useful to anyone nominating a property to the National
Register of Historic Places. All publications mentioned in the text
are cited in the Recommended Sources section at the back of this
bulletin.